Presentation on theme: "Clothes, armor and weapons of heroes and their horses." Old Russian warriors: clothes, weapons and equipment What you need for work

1. V. Vasnetsov. "Heroes"

It has long been customary that a distinctive feature of any professional army is the uniform protective equipment and uniform. But it was not always so. Warriors ancient Russia unified military uniform didn't exist. Even in relatively small princely squads, the protective equipment and weapons of the warriors were different and were selected based on the capabilities or tastes of specific warriors and the prevailing methods of combat.
Traditionally, Russian soldiers used a variety of protective equipment, which was constantly improved, incorporating all the best from what was created both in Europe and in Asia.

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According to ancient Russian concepts, protective equipment without a helmet was called armor. Later, this term began to refer to all the protective equipment of a warrior. The main element of Russian armor for a long time was chain mail. It was used from the 10th to the 17th century.

chain mail It was made from metal rings that were riveted or welded together. In the X-XI centuries, it had the form of a long-sleeved shirt with short sleeves. Since the 12th century, the type of chain mail has changed, it has long sleeves, and to protect the neck and shoulders - chain mail mesh-aventail. The chain mail weighed 6-12 kilograms. It is curious that when modern craftsmen began to make chain mail, it turned out that they were made rather quickly.

In the XIV-XV centuries, a type of chain mail appeared - Baidan, which differed in the shape of the rings, which were larger than chain mail and flatter. Usually the rings were attached to the overlay. But a spike mount was also used, in this case, greater strength of the joints was achieved, but their mobility was less. Baydana, weighing up to 6 kg, reliably protected the warrior from blows with chopping weapons, but she could not save from arrows, darts and other piercing weapons.

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Known in Russia since the 10th century plate armor”, it was made from metal plates fastened together and pulled over each other, which could be of various sizes and shapes, but more often rectangular. The thickness of the plates could reach 3 mm. Such armor was worn on a thick quilted or leather jacket, less often on chain mail. Since the 11th-12th centuries, the plates began to be fastened with straps to a leather or cloth base, which made it possible to make the armor more elastic.

4. Mail and plate armor of the X-XI centuries

4a. Chainmail. XII-XIII centuries / Artist Vladimir Semyonov/

From the 11th century, Russian soldiers began to use "scaly armor". Scale armor consisted of steel plates with a rounded bottom edge, which were attached to a cloth or leather base and resembled fish scales. In the manufacture of the plates, they pushed one on top of the other, after which each in the center was riveted to the base. The hem and sleeves were usually made from larger plates. Compared to plate armor, this type of armor was more elastic and beautiful. Since the 14th century, in the Russian language, the term "armor" has been replaced by the term "armor", and since the 15th century - " shell».

5. The shell is scaly. XI century / Artist Vladimir Semyonov /

5a. The shell is lamellar. XIII century / Artist Vladimir Semyonov /

Since the 13th century, types of protective equipment have appeared in Russia, combining elements of chain mail and armored armor. Kolontar, yushman and kuyak are the most widespread.

Kolontar- armor from the neck to the waist without sleeves, consisting of two halves, fastened on the sides and shoulders of a warrior. Each half consisted of large metal plates, which were fastened with small rings or chain mail. From the belt, a chain mail hem could be attached to it, descending to the knees.

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Yushman- a chain mail shirt with horizontal metal plates woven on the chest and back, which were usually fastened with an allowance on top of each other. Weighed up to 15 kg, combined the strength of plate armor and the elasticity of chain mail. It could take up to 100 plates to make it.

7. Warrior in yushman, on right hand bracers, an aventail is attached to the helmet.
/ Artist Vladimir Semyonov /

Kuyak It was made of metal plates, rounded or rectangular, each individually assembled on a cloth or leather base.
They were made with or without sleeves and had floors like a caftan. Kuyak could be reinforced on the back and chest with large metal plates. It was usually worn over chain mail, used as additional protection.

8. Kuyak. 16th century

Wealthy warriors put on additional armor - mirror, which consisted of large metal plates connected by straps. Usually it was made of gilded polished plates that shone in the sun, which gave it its name.

9. Warrior in armor with a mirror, XVII century / Artist Vladimir Semyonov /

The armor of Russian soldiers was supplemented with other elements of equipment. The most important among them was a helmet (helmet) - a metal bell-shaped or sphero-conical headdress with a long pommel (spire). The pommel of the helmet was sometimes decorated with a flag - yalovets. To enhance the protective properties of helmets, they were supplemented with a half mask or nosepiece that descended from the helmet, covering the nose and upper part of the face.
Often a chain mail mesh was attached to the helmet - aventail, protecting the neck and shoulders of a warrior. From the end of the 12th century, helmets with masks appeared (a kind of visor), which completely covered the face of a warrior. They were called masks because they usually had the shape of the face of a person or a mythical creature.

10. Helmet with aventail. X century / Artist Vladimir Semyonov /

11. Helmet with half mask and aventail. XII-XIII centuries

/ Artist Vladimir Semyonov /

12. Shells. XI-XIII centuries / Artist Vladimir Semyonov /

13. Shields / Artist Vladimir Semyonov /

The hands of warriors dressed in armor with short sleeves were protected from the elbows to the wrist with bracers. At the hands, the bracers were connected by rectangular plates - calves, and were attached to the arm with special straps. The legs of the warriors were protected by leggings - buturlyks. They were of three main types: from three wide metal plates connected by rings in such a way that they covered the entire leg from the knee to the heel; from two narrow and one wide plate; from one concave plate that covered only the front of the leg.

Since the 13th century, chain mail stockings have been used to protect the legs. At the same time, metal knee pads appeared, but they were not widely used, as they hindered the actions of soldiers on foot.

In the XVI-XVII centuries, a quilted shell borrowed from nomads appeared in Russia - tegilyai. It was a long caftan with short sleeves and a stand-up collar, lined with a thick layer of cotton wool or hemp. It was made of thick paper material, often metal plates were sewn onto it on the chest. Often plates or pieces of metal were sewn in between the layers of matter. Tegilyay reliably protected from chopping blows, and was most often used by poor warriors. But tegilai are also known, covered with brocade, velvet or silk, which made them expensive and very elegant. Such tegilai were worn even by great princes and kings.

14. Warrior in tegilai, quilted hat on his head, 16th century

/ Artist Vladimir Semyonov /

15. Armor. XIII-XIV centuries / Artist Vladimir Semyonov /

16. Chaldar (horse dress). XVI century / Artist Vladimir Semyonov /

17. Bakhterets and tarch. XVI century / Artist Vladimir Semyonov /

18. Archer. XIII century. / Artist Vladimir Semyonov /

19. Archer. XVI century / Artist Vladimir Semyonov /

20. Ceremonial armor. XVII century / Artist Vladimir Semyonov /

Developing and improving, these types of military protective equipment existed until the end of the 17th century. In such armor, our ancestors smashed the dog-knights on the ice of Lake Peipus, liberated the Russian land from the Horde yoke, defended the freedom and independence of the Fatherland.

Defensive weapons

All armor, helmets, bracers, greaves, shields are designated by the general term "defensive weapons". Protective weapons have been known to people since ancient times. Based on the examples of primitive tribes that could survive until the 20th and even the beginning of the 21st centuries, we know that the ancient people knew protective weapons. These are the simplest wooden shields, and the first armor made of leather, wooden or bone plates. As soon as a person got acquainted with the metal, not only offensive, but also protective ones began to be made from the new material.

In the IX - X centuries. a complete set of iron protective weapons was expensive and rare. Later, with the development of handicraft production, armor became a more mass phenomenon. However, even then, full-fledged defensive weapons remained mainly the property of the military elite - princes, boyars and their combatants. The main type of protective weapons of a simple militia remained a wooden shield. But with the growth of handicraft production in the cities, the percentage of heavily armed soldiers in the Russian army was constantly growing.

Chainmail. This type of protective weaponry appeared as early as 1,000 BC. e. and was famous in the Middle East and the Roman Empire. For quite a long time it was believed that with the fall of Rome, chain mail was forgotten in Western Europe and it was re-mastered only during the Crusades, when the knights saw its advantages during the wars with the Muslims. However, later it turned out that this opinion was erroneous. Ringed armor was widely known in the early Middle Ages on the territory of Great Scythia - Sarmatia, from the Carpathians to the North Caucasus, the Kama and the Urals. Chain mail was also common in "barbarian" Europe, including Scandinavia.

Early chain mail looked like a short shirt with sleeves (up to 70 cm long), which usually reached the elbows. The incision of the collar was located in the middle of the neck or was shifted to the side, the collar reached 10 cm. The outer diameter of its rings reached 10-11 mm. The advantage of ancient Russian chain mail was its relative lightness and flexibility. She did not hamper the movements of the warrior, while being a good defense. The average weight of Russian short chain mail X - XIII centuries. was about 6-7 kg.

1. Russian chain mail. IX-XIII centuries. 2. Weaving elements from one riveted and four welded rings. Source: We are Slavs! Encyclopedia.

Eastern Slavs in the VIII - X centuries. they themselves made chain mail. Apparently, becoming the heirs of the traditions of the Sarmatian-Alanian era. Chain mail, made by Russian craftsmen of the 10th century, through the Volga Bulgaria fell into distant Khorezm. After some time, Russian chain mail received recognition in Western Europe. On the territory of Russia, archaeologists have found more than a hundred chain mail of the 9th - 13th centuries. of which about 40 whole. “Armors ringed” (the word “chain mail” was first recorded in written sources of the 16th century) masters made up of about 20 thousand rings 6-13 in diameter, with a wire thickness of 0.8-2 mm. For the manufacture of just one such "shirt" required about 600 m of wire. When using a different technology, the rings were not made of wire, but were cut out of a sheet of iron with a special stamp. The rings were usually the same diameter. But in later times they began to combine rings of different sizes, covering the most important places of the body with fine weaving. Some of the rings were sealed tight. Every four such rings were connected by one open one, which was then riveted. Before the Batu invasion, chain mail made of flattened links appeared in Russia - “baidans” and chain mail stockings - “nagavits”.

Rider in chain mail and nagovitsy.

1. Chain mail rings. VIII-XIII centuries. 2. Weaving from welded and riveted rings.

Carapace (plate armor). Long time it was believed that the Russians met with plate armor - “plank armor” no earlier than the 12th century. However, visual sources have brought to us images of armor, which, as a rule, are shown in the form of scales. And in the annalistic story about how in 968 the Pechenegs first came to the Russian land, it is reported that the voivode Pretich exchanged gifts with the Pecheneg prince and among the Russian gifts there was armor. In 1948, in Novgorod, steel plates were found in the 11th century layer. They were fragments of plate armor. Soon, similar finds were made in other ancient Russian cities. In IX - XII chain mail prevailed in the protective equipment of Russian soldiers. Approximately for every four chain mail found, there are fragments of only one shell. In the XII - XIII centuries. with the development of offensive and defensive weapons, chain mail begins to give way to plate armor. So, in the same Veliky Novgorod in the layers of the XIV - XV centuries. already for nine remnants of plate armor there is one piece of chain mail. It should be noted that the "Mongolian" conquerors used the same plate armor.

Plate armor, like chain mail, is a legacy of an older era. He was known in the Middle East as early as 2 thousand BC. e. and armor of this type were widespread throughout Eurasia, including the Scythian-Siberian world and Far East. In Russia, “plank armor” has been known since the period of the formation of the Rurik dynasty and is another legacy of Scythia.

I. Warriors in lamellar and scaly shells. From the stamp of the hagiographic icon "Saint George". Beginning of the XIV century.
II. Details of protective clothing (VIII-XIV centuries): 1 - details of plate armor, 2 - fastening of parts of plate armor, 3 - fastening of scaly armor, 4 - details of scaly armor.

The shell is armor assembled from small plates (it is also called lamellar). The plates of the armor were tied together with straps passed through small holes along the edges of the plates. The plates came one after the other, so the impression of scales was created, and in the places where the plates overlapped, the protection was double. In addition, the plates were made curved, which should have been better to divert or soften blows.

The most ancient system, which lasted for a very long time on the territory of Russia, did not require a leather base. Elongated rectangular metal plates measuring 8 (10) x 1.5 (3.5) cm were tied with straps. Judging by the visual sources, such a shell reached the hips and was divided in height into horizontal rows of closely compressed plates.

Another type of armor was scaly armor. The plates were almost square - 6 x 4 (6) cm, and were laced to a leather or thick cloth base. The plates moved towards each other. In such a shell there were 600 - 650 plates. So that the plates do not bulge from impact or during a sharp movement, do not move away from the base, they were also fastened to the base with one more - two central rivets. Such a shell, in contrast to the "belt weaving" system, was more plastic. Plates of scaly shells were found in layers of the 13th-14th centuries. In the drawings, scaly armor has been found since the 11th century.

In addition, in Russia there were combined armor. For example, chain mail on the chest, and scaly on the sleeves and hem. Very early in Russia, other protective elements appeared - bracers, elbow pads and leggings. The bracers protected the warrior's hand from wrist to elbow. One such bracer was found during excavations in the southern Russian settlement of Sakhnovka. The bracer from Sakhnovka is double-leaf - a long rounded wing covered the warrior's hand from the outside, a short rectangular one protected the wrist. The bracer was attached to the arm with straps.

Warrior in combined armor.

Helmet. Helmets VI - VIII centuries. on the territory of Eastern Europe, archaeologists have not yet discovered. One of the oldest - a conical helmet was found in a burial mound of the 10th century. An ancient blacksmith forged it in two parts and connected it with a strip with a double row of rivets. The lower edge was covered with a hoop, on which there were loops for aventail - chain mail mesh that covered the neck and head from behind and on the sides. The scientific world of the 19th century hastened to call the helmet Scandinavian ("Norman"). It soon became clear that such helmets were distributed over a large area. The Scandinavians used other types of helmets. Conical helmets were of eastern origin.

However, conical helmets in Russia were not widely used. The sphero-conical helmets also date back to the 10th century, which better deflected blows. These helmets were usually made of several, most often four plates 1.2-1.7 mm thick, which were placed on top of each other and connected with rivets. At the bottom of the helmet, with the help of a rod, which was inserted into the loops, the aventail was fastened. Most helmets of this type clearly did not belong to ordinary warriors. Iron plates are figuratively carved, covered with gilding and silver. The elongated pommel of the helmet sometimes ended in a sleeve for a plume for feathers or dyed horsehair.

Conical, sphero-conical and domed helmets of the 10th-13th centuries.

Another type of helmet, which was common in Russia in the XI - XIII centuries. - These are high "bell-shaped" sphero-conical helmets with fillets for the eyes and nosepieces. This helmet is very popular with artists depicting ancient Russian warriors. In addition, in the lands of the "black hoods" they wore tetrahedral helmets with platbands - masks that covered the entire face. Such helmets appeared in the 12th century.

Bell-shaped sphero-conical helmets with fillets for the eyes and nosepieces. XI-XIII centuries.

Helmet with face. XIII century.

Shishaki.

Helmet with half mask, nosepiece and eyecups. XII-XIII centuries.

The sphero-conical helmets of the Old Russian state gave rise to the later Moscow "shishak". At the turn of the 12th-13th centuries, a type of steep-sided domed helmet with a half-mask was developed - circles for the eyes and a nosepiece. We must not forget some important details of ancient Russian helmets. This is a soft lining, it was usually made of fur, it was needed for convenience - it is not very pleasant to put an iron object directly on the head, and to soften the blows of the enemy. Helmets were supplied with straps for fastening under the chin. Otherwise, the helmet could simply fly off the head from a sudden movement, not to mention a blow in battle.

Helmet from the mound Black Grave, X century.

Russian helmet of the 16th century.

Shield. They like to depict Slavic warriors armed with almond-shaped shields. However, this is a mistake. Archaeological data indicate that in the VIII - X centuries. the Rus, like their neighbors, had round shields, usually a meter across. Archaeologists have established that the earliest shields were flat and consisted of several wooden planks - about 1.5 cm thick, which were connected together, covered with leather and fastened with rivets. On the outer surface of the shield, especially along the edge, there were iron fittings. There was a hole in the middle of the shield, which was covered by a convex metal plaque, which repelled a blow (“umbon”). Umbons had a hemispherical and sphero-conical shape.

Straps were fastened on the inside of the shield, into which the warrior put his hand. It also had a strong wooden rail that served as a handle. There was also a belt over the shoulder, it was needed so that the warrior could throw the shield behind his back, during the campaign, or when it was necessary to act with both hands.

Round shield with umbon and basic forms of umbons. IX-X centuries.

In the XI century, the shields become convex. At the same time, they are massively distributed by almond-shaped shields. But round shields do not give up their positions. Almond-shaped shields were massively distributed throughout Europe. Apparently, this was due to the strengthening of the role of the cavalry. The almond-shaped shield covered the equestrian warrior from shoulder to knee and was more convenient for him than the round one. The height of the almond-shaped shield was from a third to a half of human height. These shields were flat or slightly curved along the longitudinal axis. The height to width ratio was 2:1. Almond-shaped shields, like round shields, were made of wood and leather, bound around the edges and had an umbon.

Shields were usually painted and decorated. In the XII century, these were emblems and symbols of princely families. On the images of holy warriors, the shields were decorated with crosses. In an earlier era, shields, apparently, were decorated sacred symbols, signs of the clan, tribe. The background of the shield was painted. It is known that the Russians preferred the color red.

In ancient Russia, the shield was a prestigious type of weapon. Early sources mention the shield in third place, just after the sword and spear. Suffice it to recall that among the pagan Slavs the Sun itself (Dazhdbog Svarozhich) was a fiery golden shield. Prophetic Oleg hung his shield on the gates of Constantinople as a sign of patronage. The Rus swore with shields, sealed contracts. The dignity of the shield was protected by Russian Truth - a person who dared to steal a shield, spoil it, had to pay a significant fine. Losing a shield in battle was a symbol complete defeat and defeat.

The inner side of the round shield and its side view. 12th–13th centuries

Almond-shaped shield and its side view. XI - beginning of the XIII century

warrior clothing

Fabric and leather in the ground are poorly preserved, for this special conditions are needed, such as the swamps of the Novgorod land, which preserved many items of ancient Russian life. There are also few images of ancient Rus. Better preserved metal objects - weapons, some details of clothing, such as buckles, buttons and brooches (clasps of raincoats and shirts). For some of these details, scientists restore general form clothes. In addition, researchers, due to a lack of sources, often turn to the materials of neighboring peoples - the inhabitants of Scandinavia or the Steppe. Later Russian ethnographic materials - 18th - early 20th centuries are also attracted, since the traditions in clothing have been preserved until that time.

The complex of men's clothing included a shirt, trousers and a raincoat. They wore leather shoes on their feet, hemispherical hats with fur bands on their heads. Clothing was made from linen and wool. In addition, expensive foreign silk was popular among the retinue.

Russian prince with a retinue. First half of the 11th century. Based on materials from archaeological finds in Kyiv, Chernigov and the Voronezh region.

Mail and plate armor. X-XI centuries

The ancient “armor” that protected the body of a warrior looked like a shirt, hip-length, and was made of metal rings (“chain mail”) or plates (“armor”, and later “shell”).
"Ringed armor" consisted of iron rings that were alternately riveted and welded together. The great scholar of the East al-Biruni wrote about them in the 11th century: “Chain armor is designed to shame the [enemy’s] weapons in battle, they protect against what the opponents act with and from blows that cut off the head.”
"Plate armor", also in circulation among the ancient Russian warriors, was made of metal plates connected to each other and pulled over each other. Old Russian chronicles mention them: “Hit him [Izyaslav] with an arrow under the armor under the heart” (Laurentian Chronicle).
A warrior's head was covered by a helmet, while a poor man had a simple iron cap made of sheet or wrought iron.
Before the advent of helmets and chain mail, the ancient Slavs used shields as protective equipment. The shield was a symbol of military victory: “And hang your shield in the gate, showing victory” (“The Tale of Bygone Years”).
Early shields were wooden, flat, consisting of several planks covered with leather. A round hole was sawn in the center, which was closed from the outside with a convex metal plaque - “umbon”. A bar was fixed on opposite sides of the shield so that the shield could be held by hand.
In the 10th century, the shield was not heavy, suitable for both foot and cavalry warriors. Round shields are considered the earliest. From the second half of the 10th century, long oblong shields were used, and from the 11th century, almond-shaped pan-European ones came into use.

A helmet - a metal headdress of a warrior - has long existed in Russia. In the IX - X centuries. helmets were made of several metal plates, connected by rivets. After assembly, the helmet was decorated with silver, gold and iron plates with ornaments, inscriptions or images. In those days, a smoothly curved, elongated helmet with a rod at the top was common. Western Europe did not know helmets of this form at all, but they were widespread both in Western Asia and in Russia. The four military headpieces of this type that have survived from the 10th century include two helmets from the famous Chernaya Mogila mound in Chernigov, one from the Gulbishche mound in Chernigov, and one from the Great Gnezdovsky mound in the Smolensk region. This is how archaeologist D. Ya. this burial: the helmet "... consists of four iron plates covered with triangular bronze plaques connected sharp corners dumb ass..." The helmet from Gnezdov, similar in shape to those in Chernihiv, is covered with carved iron plates resembling wood carvings.
At the back and sides of such a helmet, a chain mail mesh was attached - “aventail”, which protected the warrior’s neck and shoulders.

Chain mail - "ringed armor" - was made from iron rings. First, it was necessary to make a wire using the broach method. She was put on a round pin - a mandrel to make a long spiral. About 600 meters of iron wire spiral went to one chain mail. This spiral was cut on one side. Then round open rings of the same diameter were obtained. Half of them were welded. After that, the disconnected ends of the remaining rings were additionally flattened, and holes were punched in this place - for rivets or pins, which, in turn, had to be specially made.
Then it was possible to collect chain mail. Each open ring was connected to four whole (welded) rings and riveted. The rivet had a diameter of about 0.75 mm, and it was necessary to fix it on a ring already woven into the chain mail. This operation required great precision and skill. In this way, each ring was connected to four neighboring ones: the whole was linked to four detachable ones, and the detachable ring was connected to four integers. Sometimes a row or two of copper rings were woven into chain mail. This made her look elegant. The weight of one chain mail was approximately 6.5 kg.
After assembly, the chain mail was cleaned and polished to a shine. Here is what the Russian chronicle says about shiny chain mail: “And you don’t see it scary in naked armor, like water to the sun shining brightly” (Laurentian Chronicle).

The shell is scaly. 11th century.

In the XI-XII centuries. the basis of the cavalry troops were heavily armed horsemen-spearmen. The equipment of such a warrior included one or two spears, a saber or a sword, a sulitz or a bow with arrows, a bludgeon, a mace, less often a battle hatchet, as well as defensive armor, which includes the scaly shell known since the 11th century. The shell, together with the shield, could reliably protect the cavalry both during the ramming with spears, which usually began the equestrian battle, and during the hand-to-hand battle that followed the spear strike.
The scaly shell consisted of steel plates that were attached to a leather or cloth base on one side only. When fastening, the plates moved one on top of the other, and in the center each of them was riveted to the base. Such shells were hip-length. Their hem and sleeves were sometimes lined with plates longer than the entire shell.
The image of similar "armoured planks" can be found on miniatures and icons of the 12th-14th centuries, as well as on the frescoes of the Assumption Cathedral in the Moscow Kremlin; on the carved wooden throne of Ivan the Terrible (1551), which is kept in this cathedral.
Compared to the plate shell, the scaly one was more elastic, since the convex “scales” attached to the base on only one side gave the warrior wearing such a shell more mobility, which was especially important for the equestrian fighter.

The stabbing weapons - spears and horns - in the armament of the ancient Russian troops were no less important than the sword. Spears and horns often decided the success of the battle, as was the case in the battle of 1378 on the Vozha River in Ryazan land, where the Moscow cavalry regiments overturned the Tatar army with a simultaneous blow "on spears" from three sides and defeated it. The tips of the spears were perfectly adapted to pierce armor. To do this, they were made narrow, massive and elongated, usually tetrahedral. Tips, diamond-shaped, bay-leaved or wide wedge-shaped, could be used against an enemy not protected by armor; a two-meter spear with such a tip inflicted dangerous lacerations and caused the quick death of the enemy or his horse.
The spears had a pen width from 5 to 6.5 cm and a length of a laurel tip up to 60 cm. To make it easier for a warrior to hold a weapon, two or three metal “knots” were attached to the shaft of the spear.
A kind of horn was an owl (owl), which had a curved strip with one blade, slightly curved at the end, which was mounted on a long shaft. In the Novgorod Chronicle I we read how a defeated army "... ran into the forest, throwing weapons and shields and owls and everything from itself."
A throwing spear with a light and thin shaft up to 1.5 m long was called a sulitz. Three or more sulits (sulica was sometimes called "dzherid") were put into a small quiver - "dzhid" - with separate nests. The jid was worn on the belt on the left side.

Shelomy. 11th-13th centuries

Shelom (helmet) is a military headdress with a high bell-shaped crown and a long spire (“top”). In Russia, domed and sphero-conical helmets were common. At the top, the helmets often ended in a sleeve, which was sometimes equipped with a flag - “yalovets”. In the early times, helmets were made from several (two or four) parts riveted together. There were helmets and from one piece of metal.
The need to strengthen the protective properties of the helmet led to the emergence of steep-sided domed helmets with a nasal or half mask, which descended from the forehead to the nose. These parts of the helmet were called so: "nose" and "mask". The warrior's neck was covered with a mesh made of the same rings as chain mail - "aventail". It was attached to the helmet from behind and from the sides.
Wealthy warriors had helmets trimmed with silver and gold, and sometimes they were completely gilded.
Old Russian legends recall helmets in a very poetic form: “Let's sit down, brethren, on our komoni greyhounds, drink, brethren, with our helmet the waters of the fast Don, test our damask swords” (“Zadonshchina”).

In Ancient Russia, armor was called armor: “Wrestlers are standing mountains in armor and shooting” (Laurentian Chronicle).
The oldest armor was made of rectangular convex metal plates with holes along the edges. Leather belts were threaded into these holes, with which the plates were closely attracted to each other (Fig. A).
Since the 11th century, drawings of other armor - scaly - appeared. The plates of such armor were attached to a cloth or leather base on one side and fixed in the center. Most of scaly armor found by archaeologists in Novgorod, Smolensk and other places date back to the 13th-14th centuries. (Fig. B).
Armor made of plates, in contrast to "mail" (that is, made of metal rings), was called "plank", because their plates resembled convex planks. During the XIV century, the term "armor", like "plank armor", is gradually replaced by the word "armor". In the 15th century, a new term appeared for armor made from plates - "shell", borrowed from the Greek language.
All parts of the armor were made by blacksmiths. “The tick fell from heaven, and began to forge weapons,” says the Laurentian Chronicle. In the workshops of blacksmiths discovered by archaeologists in ancient Russian cities, parts of armor and blacksmith tools were found, with the help of which both armor and other metal things necessary in everyday life were made. Archaeologists have restored ancient anvils - supports on which the forging of the product took place; hammer (omlat, mlat or cue) - percussion forging tool; tongs with which the blacksmith held and turned the product on the anvil and held red-hot pieces of metal.

Warrior. 12th century

Since the beginning of the XII century, defensive battles with nomads have become the main wars for Russian warriors. In this regard, in Russia, armor does not become as heavy and motionless as is typical for Western Europe: battles with nomadic horsemen required quick maneuvering and mobility of the Russian warrior.
The main role on the battlefields was played by the cavalry. However, in front of the cavalry, the infantry, which began the battle, often acted. The 12th century is characterized by mixed infantry and cavalry battles that took place near the walls and fortresses of cities. Infantrymen - "pedestrians" - were used to protect the city walls and gates, cover the rear of the cavalry, to carry out the necessary transport and engineering work, for reconnaissance and punitive sorties.
The pawns were armed various kinds weapons - throwing, chopping and shock. Their clothes and weapons were generally simpler and cheaper than those of the combatants, since the infantry detachments were for the most part formed from the common people - smerds, artisans, and not from professional soldiers. The pawn's weapons were a marching ax, a heavy spear and a mullet, a club and a spear. The armor on the pawn was more often chain mail, or even none at all. The infantrymen of the 12th century used both round and almond-shaped shields.

Chainmail. XII-XIII centuries

Since the end of the XII century, the type of chain mail has changed. Chain mail appeared with long sleeves, knee-length, with chain mail stockings - “nagavits”. Now chain mail began to be made not from round, but from flat rings. Such rings were made from round iron wire, and then flattened with a special iron stamp.
Chain mail of the 13th century consisted of flat rings of various sizes. The largest rings were located in the form of rectangles on the back and chest; smaller rings covered the shoulders, sides, sleeves and hem of the chain mail. The right side of the chain mail regiment was woven from thick, massive rings. When the chain mail was fastened, it covered the left lining, woven from thinner rings. The collar was square, split, with a shallow cut. In my own way appearance such chain mail resembled a shirt with sleeves and a square collar. The neck and upper chest of the warrior were covered with a special ringed necklace - “aventail”, which was connected with the helmet.
The rings from which such chain mail was made were of two types: riveted, as well as cut from a sheet of iron and forged in the form of small washers with an elliptical section. In total, about 25 thousand rings were used for chain mail.

A very common chopping weapon in the ancient Russian army was an ax, which was used by princes, princely combatants, and militias, both on foot and on horseback. However, there was also a difference: footmen more often used large axes, while horsemen used “puffins”, that is, short axes. Both of them had an ax put on a wooden ax handle with a metal tip. The back flat part of the ax was called the butt, and the hatchet was called the butt. The blades of the axes were trapezoidal in shape. The axes themselves were divided into axes-chasers and axes-maces.
A large wide ax was called "berdysh". Its blade - "iron" - was long and mounted on a long ax handle, which at the lower end had an iron fitting, or ink. Berdysh were used only by foot soldiers. In the 16th century, berdyshs were widely used in the archery army.
At the beginning of the 17th century, halberds appeared in the Russian army (initially among the entourage of False Dmitry) - modified axes of various shapes, ending with a spear. The blade was mounted on a long shaft (or ax handle) and often decorated with gilding or embossing.
A kind of metal hammer, pointed from the side of the butt, was called "chasing", or "slander". The coinage was mounted on an ax handle with a tip. There were coinage with a screw-down, hidden dagger. The coin served not only as a weapon: it was a distinctive accessory of the military authorities.

Helmet with half mask and aventail. XII-XIII centuries

At the end of the XII-XIII centuries. In connection with the general European trend towards heavier defensive armor in Russia, helmets appear equipped with a mask-mask, that is, a visor that protected the face of a warrior from both chopping and stabbing blows. Masks-masks were equipped with slits for the eyes and nasal openings, and covered the face either half (half-mask) or entirely. A helmet with a face was put on a balaclava and worn with an aventail, a chain mail mesh that, as a rule, covered the entire face, neck and shoulders of a warrior. Masks-masks, in addition to their direct purpose - to protect the face of a warrior, were also supposed to frighten the enemy with their appearance, for which they were designed accordingly.
Helmets, armor, shields - the entire set of defensive and offensive military armor - became an indispensable item of everyday use in the restless and bloody time (XII-XIII centuries) of Russian history. Feudal strife, wars with Polovtsians, knights, Lithuania, Mongol invasion... Chronicles are full of records of battles, campaigns, enemy raids. Here is one of these reports (year 1245): “Lithuania fought near Torzhok and Bezhitsa; and the Novotorzhtsy chasing them with Prince Yaroslav Volodimirich and beating with them, and taking away the horses and samekh bisha from the Novotorzhtsy, and walking with a crowd of other things ... ”(Novgorod First Chronicle).

The shell is lamellar. 13th century

Plate armor is armor consisting of metal plates to cover the body of a warrior. The plates of such armor could be very diverse: square, semicircular, wide rectangular, narrow oblong, with a thickness of 0.5 to 2 mm. Several small holes were made on the plates, through which the plates were attached to a leather or cloth base with threads or straps. On the more ancient shells, there was no base, the plates were connected only with each other, and the shell was put on a thick quilted jacket or chain mail. All plates were convex and moved one on top of the other, which enhanced the protective properties of the armor.
The shells of such a system - "belt fastening" - existed in Russia until the end of the 15th century.
“Give the Pecheneg prince Pretich a horse, a saber, arrows, he will give him armor, a shield, a sword,” - this is how the ancient armor was mentioned in The Tale of Bygone Years.
A well-armored rider might not even have a chopping weapon in his hands. For a cavalryman, a mace and a flail became a very important weapon, which made it possible to quickly inflict deafening blows and quickly continue the battle in another place in the battle.

“... Rusichi is a great field with black shields foregorodisha ...” (“The Tale of Igor's Campaign”).
The oldest Russian shield (VIII-XI centuries), round, reaching a quarter of human height, was convenient for parrying blows. In profile, such a shield is oval or funnel-shaped, which enhanced its protective properties.
In the 12th century, the round shield was replaced by an almond-shaped shield that protected the rider from the chin to the knees. As the helmet improves, the top of the shield straightens more and more. In the second quarter of the 13th century, a triangular shield with an inflection appeared, that is, a gable shield, tightly pressed against the body. Then there are curved trapezoidal shields. With late XIII centuries, complex-figured shields-tarches came into use, covering the rider's chest during spear rams. In the 14th century, the evolution of defensive weapons led to the emergence of a shield with a share groove, which served as a receptacle for the hand and made it easier to maneuver the shield in battle. In Western Europe, such shields, reaching a height of 130 cm, were called "pavezes".
It is known that shields various forms have existed for a long time. For example, along with round ones, trapezoidal shields, etc., could be used. Shields were made of iron, wood, reeds, and leather. The most common were wooden shields. The center of the shield was usually reinforced with a metal pommel - "umbon". The edge of the shield was called the crown, and the gap between the crown and the pommel was called the border. The back side of the shield had a lining, on the arm the shield was held by bindings - “columns”. The color of the shield could be very different, but throughout the entire existence of Russian armor, a clear preference was given to the red color.

Archer. 13th century

The ancient Slavs at the dawn of their history fought mainly on foot. The ancient Russian state in the wars with Byzantium (X century) does not yet know the cavalry. The feudalization of society and troops leads to its appearance at the end of the 10th century. The emergence of cavalry is also facilitated by the continuous war with the steppe - the Pechenegs, Torks, Polovtsians. It was impossible to stand against the nomads without having cavalry.
By the 12th century, the Russian cavalry formed a significant force, stopping and repulsing the onslaught of nomadic peoples on the borders of the Kievan state.
The horse army consisted of heavily armed horsemen - spearmen and light cavalry - archers.
Spearmen are a force specially created for attacking and starting a decisive battle. The ramming action of the "spear" strike when colliding with the enemy often predetermined the outcome of the battle.
The appointment of archers was different. They carried out "reconnaissance in force", probed the enemy's forces, lured him with a false flight, and carried out security service. The main weapon of an archer - a bow and arrows - was supplemented with an ax, a flail, a mace, a shield or metal armor, a variation of which could be a lamellar shell, the prototype of the later Bakhterets.
The composition of the archers, basically, included "young", that is, members of the squad, junior in position.

Percussion weapons belong to melee weapons, due to the ease of manufacture, they have become widespread in Russia. Maces, clubs and sixth feathers are military weapons. Whether the flail was used in the army - a heavy metal weight attached to the end of the strap, about 50 cm long - is definitely difficult to say, but repeated archaeological finds of the flail testify to its sufficient popularity. The maces were a short rod, on the end of which a massive knob was mounted. The head of the shestoper consisted of metal plates - "feathers" (hence its name). Shestoper, widespread mainly in the 15th-17th centuries, could serve as a sign of the power of military leaders, remaining at the same time a terrible weapon: “And not with bright sabers slash them, but Muscovites bish them, ... like pigs, shestopers” (Pskov Chronicle).
Both the mace and the mace originate from a club - a massive club with a thickened end, usually bound with iron or studded with large iron nails. The club may have been ancient weapons known to man. “...Before that, I beat with clubs and stones,” says the Ipatiev Chronicle.

Armor. 13th–14th centuries

Starting from the XIV century, in Russia there are shells in which different types of armor are mixed. The armor could be scaly on the hem and lamellar (or ringed) on the chest and back. The sleeves and hem of the chain mail were trimmed with long tongue-shaped plates. The chest of the warrior was additionally protected by large plaques that were worn over the armor. Later, in the 16th century, they received the name "mirror", as their smooth metal plates were specially polished, polished to a shine, and sometimes covered with gold, silver and engraved. Such armor was very expensive, ordinary soldiers were not available and could be worn on the battlefield exclusively by princes, governors and the first boyars.
A heavily armed warrior in the 14th century had a spear and a sword as part of a cold weapon.
In the XII-XIII centuries. in Russia, swords of all types known at that time in Western Europe were used. The main types were the so-called "Carolingian swords" - earlier (its length is 80-90 cm, and the width of the blade is 5-6 cm) and "Romanesque", which arose somewhat later with a disc-shaped pommel. Until about the 13th century, the sword served mainly as a cutting weapon. “Cutting with a sword mercilessly,” says the Laurentian Chronicle about him. In the second half of the 13th century, a stabbing blade also appeared (“Those who call to the window will be pierced with a sword”). In the XIII century, the blade of the sword was lengthened and its hilt was strengthened, which increased the striking power of this terrible weapon. In the XIV century, large swords were common - up to 120–140 cm long.

“Come out the regiment ... and raise the banner” (Ipatiev Chronicle). The value of the banner in the ancient Russian rats is enormous. Before the start of the battle around the banner in order of battle an army was built; when the battle broke up into a series of separate hand-to-hand fights, the banner served as a guide for the soldiers, a gathering place, an indicator of the course of the battle. If the enemy “reached the banner and the banners of the undercut”, this meant defeat, and this was inevitably followed by the flight of the troops. Therefore, in inter-princely wars, all the efforts of rivals were directed to mastering the princely banner; the fate of the banner decided the fate of the battle, and the most cruel slaughter was played out around it. The emblem of the prince was originally hung on the banner; by the end of the 14th century, the image of Jesus began to be placed on the banners. “... And the sovereign ordered the Christian cherugs to deploy, that is, the banner, on them the image of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Nikon chronicle about the Battle of Kulikovo). Around the same time, the term "banner" came into use. Both names - "banner" and "banner" exist in parallel until the 17th century; in the 17th century, the word "banner" is no longer found. In the 16th century, each regiment already had a banner (“big banner”); the hundreds into which the regiments were divided had "lesser banners".
The banners were complained by the tsar to the Don and Zaporozhye troops, were issued to the governors for the campaign and for service, were sent to Astrakhan to the princes of Cherkassy. The banners differed from each other in dignity, symbolizing the degree of importance of their bearer.

Crossbow. 14th century

For the first time, the use of a crossbow in Russia is reported in the Radziwill Chronicle under 1159. This weapon, significantly inferior to the bow in terms of rate of fire (the archer fired about 10 arrows per minute, the crossbowman - 1-2), surpasses it in the strength of the arrow and in the accuracy of the battle. A self-piercing bolt pierced heavy armor at a great distance.
The crossbow consisted of a wooden stock, which usually ended with a butt. On the bed was a longitudinal groove, where a short arrow was inserted - a “bolt”. On the opposite butt end of the bed was fastened a bow, short and extremely powerful. It was made of steel, wood or horn. In order to load the crossbow, the shooter rested his foot on the stirrup and pulled the bowstring, fastening it with a hook - the so-called "nut". When fired, the cranked trigger came out of the "nut" recess; the latter, turning, released the bowstring and the bolt linked to it. “He strained a self-shooting arrow, let it go in vain, and wound his angry heart with it” (Novgorod IV Chronicle).
The bowstring was pulled on the early models of the crossbow by hand. From the second half of the 12th century, a belt hook appeared, with the help of which the shooter, straightening the body, pulled the bowstring to the hook. In the 13th century, crossbows were loaded using a rotator. The oldest belt hook in Europe was found during excavations in the Volyn city of Izyaslavl.

Bows and arrows have been used since ancient times and were both fighting and hunting weapons. Bows were made of wood (juniper, birch, etc.) and horns. Already in the 10th century, bows in Russia had a rather complex device. The middle part of the bow was called the “hilt”, and the whole tree of the bow was called “kibit”. The long elastic curved halves of the bow were called "horns" or "shoulders". The horn consisted of two planks of wood, well crafted, fitted and glued together. On the flat sides they were pasted over with birch bark. Tendons were glued to the back of the bow, which were fixed at the handle and ends. To increase elasticity, sometimes bone and horn plates were glued instead of birch bark. On the joints of the individual parts of the bow, tendons were wound, which were then smeared with glue, and strips of boiled birch bark were superimposed on it. In the manufacture of onions, strong fish glue was used. At the ends of the "horns" were the upper and lower lining. A bowstring passed through the lower lining. The total length of the bow reached two or more meters. A cover was put on the bow, which was called "brace", or "brace". Arrows for a bow could be reed, reed, birch, apple, cypress. The case for arrows was called "quiver", or "tul". All the equipment was entirely called "saadak", or "sagadak". A bow with a bow was worn on the left; quiver with arrows - on the right. The bow and quiver were often made of leather, morocco and decorated with embroidery, precious stones, velvet or brocade.
Crossbows or crossbows were another type of throwing weapons. The crossbow was inferior to the bow in terms of rate of fire, but it surpassed it in the strength of the arrow's impact and the accuracy of the battle. A self-firing "bolt" from two hundred meters brought down a rider from a horse and easily pierced iron chain mail.

Kolontar - sleeveless armor of two halves, front and back, fastened on the shoulders and sides of the armor with iron buckles. Each half from the neck to the waist was made up of rows of large horizontally arranged metal plates fastened with chain mail. A chain mail network was attached to the belt - the hem - to the knees. The dorsal plates of the columnar were made thinner and smaller than the chest ones. When the columnar was part of the ceremonial armor, then, decorated with a gold notch, engraving, slotted ornament, it rose in price to 1000 rubles - an astronomical amount for the 17th century.
Russian armor, similar to the colonel, was highly valued by the neighbors of the Muscovite state. “Yes, the great prince granted, he sent pansyr for the third year; and the yaz went to the enemies, but lost the armor; and he would have sent the armor,” wrote the Crimean Khan Mengli-Girey to Moscow in 1491, whose request and naive cunning are the best certificate of the high skill of Russian armorers.

Baydana is a type of ringed armor. It differs from chain mail itself only in the size and shape of its rings. Baidana rings are large, flat forged. Rings were fastened either overlaid, or on a nail or spike, which gave the joint greater strength. The most famous baidana belonged to Boris Godunov. On many rings of this armor, the inscription is engraved: "God is with us, no one is with us."
Weighing up to 6 kg, the baidan was reliable protection from sliding saber blows, but could not save from piercing weapons and arrows because of the large diameter of their rings.
"Baidana Besermenskaya", as this type of defensive armor is called in "Zadonshchina", a literary monument of the XIV century, has been known in Russia since 1200. It could be supplemented with other items of defensive weapons, such as greaves that protected the legs of a warrior. Leggings - buturlyks, or batarlyks, were of three types: from three wide boards connected by metal rings in such a way that the buturlyk covered the entire leg from heel to knee; from one wide board and two narrow ones; from one curved board, attached to the leg with straps.

“... He himself is on a horse - like a falcon is clear; armor on mighty shoulders is strong: the kuyak and shell are pure silver, and the chain mail on it is red gold ”(Epic about Mikhail Kazarinov).
Kuyak was an armor made of metal plates, rectangular or round, each typed separately on a leather or cloth base. Kuyaki were made with sleeves and without sleeves; had floors like a caftan. Kuyak could be reinforced on the chest and back with large plate plates -
"shields". Such armor exists in Russia from the 13th to the 17th century and has close analogies in Western Europe. The very same term "kuyak" appears only in the XVI century.
The movement of regiments clad in armor, shining with boards of kuyak, bristling with spears, was often accompanied by the sounds of music.
The most common musical instrument that accompanied the army on the campaign was a pipe. At first, military trumpets were straight, without knees, resembling a shepherd's horn. Later, the pipes were made of three bends, located at an equal distance from each other, fastened with transverse bridges. Sometimes quadrangular "veils" of taffeta or brocade with silk, gilded or silver-plated fringes and tassels were attached to the pipes for decoration. On campaigns, the pipes were hidden in cloth covers - “nagalishcha”.
About the glorious Russian warriors it is said in the "Word of Igor's Campaign": "Under the trumpets, they are cherished, under the helmets."

Of the cutting and stabbing weapons in Russia, swords, knives and sabers were common.
The sword consisted of a wide strip, sharp on both sides, that is, a blade, and a kryzh - a handle, parts of which were called: apple, black and flint. Each flat side of the blade was called "golomen", or "golomya", and the points - "blades". They made one wide or
several narrow openings. Blades were made of steel or iron.
The sword was sheathed in leather or velvet. The scabbard was made of iron and decorated with gold or silver notches. The sword was hung from the belt with two rings located at the mouth of the scabbard.
The knives used by ancient Russian warriors were of several types. Short knives with two blades, hooked to the belt, were called "belt". Knives, somewhat longer and wider than belt knives, with one blade curved towards the end, were called "underside". These knives were hung from the belt on the left side. Knives with a crooked blade, which was called a “shlyak”, worn behind the top of the right boot, were called “boots”.
In the southern regions of Ancient Russia, since the 10th century, the saber has become widespread. In the Novgorod land, the saber came into use later - from about the 13th century. The saber consisted of a strip and a handle - "kryzha". The sharp side of the saber had a blade and a back. The handle was recruited from flint, shank and
a knob into which a cord was threaded through a small hole - a “lanyard”.

Yushman. XVI century.

“... Begin to arm yourself, put yushman on yourself” (Nikon Chronicle). For the first time, this type of armor was mentioned in 1548, and, obviously, it received distribution a little earlier. Yushman, or yumshan (from the Persian "dj awshan"), is a chain mail shirt with a set of horizontal plates woven into the chest and back. About 100 plates were used to make yushmans, usually weighing 12-15 kg, which were mounted with a small allowance on top of each other. Yushman could be worn over chain mail, had a full cut from the neck to the hem, was put on in the sleeves, like a caftan, fastened with clasps - "kyurks" and loops. Sometimes "boards" of yushman were induced by gold or silver; such armor could be very expensive. The hands of a warrior, dressed in a yushman or other type of armor, were protected from the elbow to the wrist with bracers. At the hands, the bracers were connected by rectangular plates - calves, and attached to the arm with straps.

Saddles, saddlecloths and chaldars (horse covers made of metal plaques sewn onto cloth, covering the croup, sides and chest of the horse and having a certain protective purpose) were richly trimmed with gold, enamels, and precious stones. Jenkinson, who visited Moscow in 1557, wrote: "Their saddles are made of wood and lived, they are gilded, decorated with Damascus work and covered with cloth or morocco." Both ceremonial and combat Russian saddles were distinguished by their original design, leaning on the back of the horse only with saddle racks; the front pommel was high, in most cases tilted forward. The rear bow was made lower, sloping, as a result of which it did not constrain turning in the saddle.
Baron Sigismund Herberstein, who visited Moscow twice on a diplomatic mission at the beginning of the 16th century, describes the then horse attire adopted in the Russian army as follows: they have in use long and cut at the end; they tie it to the finger of their left hand so that they can grab the bow and, pulling it, put it into motion. Although together and at the same time they hold a bridle, a bow, a saber, an arrow and a whip in their hands, they are able to use them deftly and without any difficulty. Russian stirrups had basically two forms: one with a narrow shackle and a round base, the other in the form of a bent, narrow strip tapering upwards.
The design of the Russian harness ideally met the requirements imposed by the conditions of the war with the nomads, the main enemy of the Muscovite state.

Helmets have been used in Russia since the 10th century. More simple helmets - without additional protective parts for the face - were pulled together at the bottom with a hoop, which was sometimes ornamented. Holes were made on it for aventail, that is, a chain mail "necklace" to protect the neck. From the 12th century, helmets began to be equipped with a nosepiece, cutouts for the eyes - a half mask or mask. The "nose" is an iron strip that went through a hole that was made in the visor or shelf of the helmet. The "nose" was lowered and raised with the help of a "twist". The mask - the "mask" - was made mostly motionless, but sometimes it was attached with hinges and could rise.
In the XIV century, in written monuments, for the first time there are mentions of a headdress called "shishak". According to archaeologists, this type of protective headgear spread to Russia in the 12th-14th centuries.
A kind of protective headgear was the “paper hat”. It was made on cotton wool from cloth, silk or paper fabrics, sometimes reinforced with chain mail and quilted. It became most widespread in the 16th century.
Misyurka - an iron cap was called a military headgear with aventail and earmuffs. The term comes from the Arabic word "Misr" - Egypt. Perhaps the most unpretentious of the helmets was the bowl, which protected only the upper part of the warrior's head. Misyurka has been known in Russia since the 14th century.
Erichonka - a high hat with a crown (lower edge of the crown), pommel (upper edge of the crown) and a burr (metal decoration) on it. Ears, the back of the head and a shelf were attached to the crown of the erihonka, through which the “nose” with the “shackle” passed. Such hats were worn by the rich and noble
warriors and trimmed them with gold, silver, precious stones.
All protective headgear was worn by warriors on hats or thick linings.

In the 16th century, despite the rapid development of firearms, defensive weapons continued to exist - Russian soldiers still wear bakhtertsy, kolontari, mirrors and, of course, chain mail.
Some Russian armor of the 16th century has its own interesting fate. So, in the Moscow Armory there is chain mail with a small copper plaque on which there is an inscription “Prince Petrov Ivanovich Shuiskov”. The boyar and governor Pyotr Ivanovich Shuisky died in 1564 during Livonian War. It is believed that it was this chain mail that Tsar Ivan the Terrible sent as a gift to Yermak and that it was in it that the conqueror of Siberia drowned in the Irtysh, when in the summer of 1584 his detachment was destroyed by the Tatars of Khan Kuchum. In 1646, the chain mail, which survived two of its owners, was captured by Russian governors in one of the Siberian towns and again returned to the royal arsenal.
In the 16th century, a significant part of Russian armor was still made in Moscow, where artisans from other cities moved by government decrees, and along the outskirts of which, as Herberstein testifies, a long row of "houses of blacksmiths and other artisans operating with fire" stretched. Blacksmithing and armor production was then concentrated in the area of ​​​​the Kuznetsky bridge, the current Bronny streets and the Old Kuznetskaya settlement in Kotelniki, where today, during earthworks, a tombstone of a certain Grigory Dmitriev, “the son of a chain mail man”, who died in 1596, was found. Thanks to this find, it became known that somewhere in the second half of the 16th century, a new type of armor was distinguished - chain mail, which specialized exclusively in making armor from metal rings. The Russian army will finally refuse to use such armor only at the end of the 17th century, at the dawn of the time of Peter the Great.

Being a kind of caftan with short sleeves and a high standing collar, lined with cotton wool or hemp and quilted through, tegilyai had sufficient protective qualities and was worn instead of armor by poor warriors. In this case, the tagilyai was made of thick paper material and could be sheathed with metal plates along the chest. To match the tegil, there was a “paper hat”, which was made on cotton wool from cloth, silk or paper fabrics and was sometimes reinforced with a chain mail net placed in the lining. Sometimes the hat was supplied with an iron coating.

“Some,” Herberstein, the ambassador of the German emperor at the court of Ivan III, wrote about the Moscow horsemen, “have a ringed shell and chest armor, consisting of rings and plates connected together, arranged like fish scales.” This armor was called
"bekhterets", or "bakhterets" (from the Persian "begter" - a kind of armor). Bakhterets was recruited from oblong plates located in vertical rows, connected by rings on two short sides. Side and shoulder slits were fastened with buckles or belts with a metal tip. Up to 1500 plates were used to make bahterets, which were mounted in such a way as to create a double or triple coating. A pearl hem, and sometimes a collar and sleeves, was built up to the bahterets. The average weight of such armor reached 10–12 kg, and the length was 66 cm.
If the bakhterets in the 16th-17th centuries was widely used in Russia, then the shield at the same time lost its combat purpose, becoming a ceremonial and ceremonial object. This also applies to the shield, the pommel of which consisted of a metal "hand" with a blade; this "hand" included left hand warrior. This type of shield with a blade, called "tarch" (from the Arabic "turs" - "shield"), was used in the defense of fortresses, but was extremely rare.

In the 16th-17th centuries, additional armor was used in Russia to reinforce the chain mail or shell, which was worn over the armor. These armors were called "mirrors". They consisted in most cases of four large plates: front, back and two side. Plates, the weight of which rarely exceeded 2 kg, were interconnected and fastened on the shoulders and sides with belts with buckles (shoulder pads and armlets). The mirror, polished and polished to a mirror shine (hence the name of the armor), often covered with gilding, decorated with engraving and chasing, in the 17th century most often had a purely decorative character; by the end of the century, their value, like any other defensive armor, fell completely.
In the collection of the Armory, a complete mirror armor of the 17th century has been preserved, consisting of a helmet, mirror, bracers and leggings.

Bell. XVI–XVII centuries

In the 16th-17th centuries, under the great princes and kings, there were squire-bodyguards (ryndas) who accompanied the monarch on campaigns and trips, and during palace ceremonies stood in full dress on both sides of the throne. The term itself goes back to an earlier time. Prince Dmitry during the Battle of Kulikovo "... commanded the great black banner to carry his bell over Mikhail Ondreevich Brenck" (Nikon Chronicle).
When the ryndas served in the palace, their armament was a large “embassy ax” (an indispensable attribute of the audiences that Moscow sovereigns gave to foreign ambassadors; hence the name of the ax). It was made of damask steel and steel; decorated with silver and gold notch. The handles of these axes were decorated with precious metal belts (sometimes, however, they were made with gilded copper), often covered with inlay.

Parade armor. XVII century

“On my father are golden armor and a golden helmet with precious stones and pearls, and my brothers are in silver armor, only golden helmets ...”, says an ancient story. It is this impression that is created from precious weapons, which could only be owned by kings and their governors. Ceremonial armor was decorated with silver, gold, precious stones, framed with filigree frames, covered with engraving. The mirrors of the 17th century by Dimitry Konovalov, Nikita Davydov, Grigory Vyatkin, masters of the Armory Order, were used as decorative ceremonial armor. The mirrors made by Konovalov in 1616 for Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich were estimated in the 17th century at 1,500 rubles (while the price of an ordinary shell then fluctuated from 5 to 10 rubles). To match the ceremonial armor was the decoration of the horse. “And how then they led the sovereign’s stable,” wrote the Danish resident Mois Gay, “then on horseback archaks and saddlecloths and the whole outfit was studded with pearls and precious stones.” “The main leaders and noble persons,” reported the Englishman D. Fletcher, who visited Russia in 1588, “the horses are covered with rich harness, the saddles are made of golden brocade, the bridles are also luxuriously trimmed with gold, with silk fringe.”

Municipal educational institution
"Secondary School No. 8"
RESEARCH
TOPIC: "Armor and weapons of the heroes of the Russian land"
Done by 5th grade student
Juraev Artur
Supervisor:

Sirazeva Albina Saitgalievna
Sterlitamak 2017
Content
Introduction……………………………………………………………………3
Chapter I
1 1. Narrator

2
2

1.3. Education and origin
1.4. Painting by V.M. Vasnetsov "Three heroes"
Chapter II. Armor and weapons of the heroes of the Russian land…………..6
2 1. Armor of the Russian hero

3.1. How do classmates and friends represent the hero? .... 9

and compared with the weapons of heroes
Conclusion……………………………………………………………..13
References……………………………………………………………………14
Applications……………………………………………………………..15
3
3

Introduction.
Long ago, in place of cities and villages, there were impenetrable forests,
full of animals and birds. Many territories were occupied by marshy swamps.
Since ancient times, the Slavs lived on this land. Their neighbors are Khazars and Mongols Tatars
often attacked the Slavs, devastated the lands, ravaged houses, took them to
captured people. Russia defended itself from enemies. could live in such conditions
only strong, hardy and brave people. These people were called
Russians. They were famous for their heroic strength, their exploits were composed
fairy tales and epics. The defenders of our Motherland lived among the Russian heroes
in ancient times. Bogatyrs are people of immense strength, stamina and courage,
4
4

who defended our Motherland from enemies, performed military feats,
stood at the outpost. Military affairs became their main social function. From
various books, literary works and textbooks on history, I have already
got to know the rich a little. Bogatyrs are associated in my
consciousness with such concepts as nobility, courage, honor, duty. And
although the era of heroes has passed, knightly ethics and the code of honor have not been lost
its relevance in our age.
For us
until now the behavior of the heroes
remains
standard of patriotism.

Choice
my
research is driven by my
interest in historical
Seeing
the past of the country.
reproduction
paintings
"Heroes" V.M. Vasnetsov, I wanted to know more about the defenders of the Earth
Russian. I began to read fairy tales and epics, telling about what was
the equipment of the heroes, what weapons they fought with. This is how mine happened
complete immersion in the topic.
once
personal
I want to know with what weapons the heroes defended
Russian lands, what was their equipment
research is:
Hypothesis
atmosphere
interest in the question of what the weapons and equipment of the Russians were
heroes, then we can awaken a sense of belonging to history
of his people.
if create
I showed scientific interest in the topic “Armor and weapons of Russian
heroes."
problem,
The research work considers
which
thing is modern generation cannot name, recognize
weapons and equipment of the Russian hero. In one of the exercises
the Russian language was given the task: “A modern artist has allowed
errors. What armor and what weapons were not worn by Russian heroes?
It is difficult for a student to point out a discrepancy without having a theoretical
preparation.
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5

The novelty of the work lies in the fact that already known information is studied and
researched at the level of knowledge of the students of my school.
The relevance of the study is due to the fact that today the majority
people still do not know the name of Russian military armor and equipment
hero. Patriotism, citizenship must be brought up with
the youngest age. Sometimes in modern families such questions are not
considered important and worthy of due attention.
The object of the study was fairy tales, epics, documentary
materials.
The subject of the study is the weapons and equipment of heroes
my goal research work familiarize yourself with weapons
equipment of heroes
Achieving this goal involves solving particular problems:
Get acquainted with samples of military equipment
Present the found examples visually
Select illustrative material on the topic
To study theoretical information about the weapons and equipment of the Russian
heroism
The practical significance of my work is invaluable for teachers and
students. The teacher, having studied my work, will be able to name, recognize weapons
and equipment, tell about the scope of its application. Students,
those familiar with my work will be able to learn to recognize weapons,
armor, their purpose. My work will be useful to those who want to know
history of Russian weapons.
In my work, I used the following methods and techniques

research:
the literature on this topic was studied by the method of analysis and synthesis;
applied comparative, comparative analysis;
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6

given classification, interpretation;
search method and method of comparative analysis.
observation method identified and systematized types of weapons
Russian hero
This work consists of theoretical and practical parts. In
the introduction outlines the goals and objectives of the study. In the theoretical part
examined the types of weapons and equipment of the Russian hero.
In the practical part, I presented an analysis of the information on how
students know the names of the armor and weapons of the Russian hero.
Chapter I. Who are they - the heroes of the Russian land?
1.1 Narrator
The storyteller went from village to village and spoke in a singsong voice about
heroic heroes, about their exploits. He talked about how it was: about the affairs
and the victories of the heroes, about how they overcame evil enemies, defended their
land, showed their courage, courage, ingenuity, kindness.
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This is how the epic went. The Russian people have many centuries of word of mouth,
epics about mighty heroes passed from grandfather to grandson. In epics
reflected the life of the Russian people, which was very difficult in Russia.
1.2. Epics as a source of knowledge about Russian heroes
My acquaintance with oral folk art began with reading
such epics as "Ilya Muromets and the Nightingale the Robber", "Finist - Clear
Falcon", "Nikita Kozhemyaka", "Alyosha Popovich and Tugarin the Serpent".
I became interested in epic creativity and felt my
participation in the history of the Russian people. For me, a Russian hero
an example to follow.
1.3. Education and origin of heroes.
The limitations of written sources do not allow us to
describe with absolute accuracy the process of educating a Russian hero.
According to legends, the heroes of the heroic outpost were twin cities and
stood guard over the frontiers of Holy Russia. We read from A.S. Pushkin: "Before
in the morning dawn, the brothers go out in a friendly crowd for a walk, gray ducks
shoot. Amuse the right hand, hurry in the field, or head off
to cut off the broad shoulders of a Tatar, or to etch from the forest of Pyatigorsk
Circassian". The formation of a hero is known mainly from epics and
legends. The main concepts of the honor code of heroes were Vera,
Word, Deed, Way, Purpose, Measure, Faith. It was a kind of code.
honor of the Russian hero.
1.4. Painting by V.M. Vasnetsov "Three heroes"
Bogatyrs are powerful, just, kind, strong,
brave, strong, tall men. In the painting, the artist conveyed
features of the historical era in that the heroes had weapons
old type, for example: a sword, a bow with poisonous arrows and a club. Clothing,
for example: chain mail, a helmet and boots were also of those times.
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When three heroes stick together, they
invincible because everyone has their own
advantages and tricks. Together they are like
impenetrable and impenetrable wall.
Chapter II. Equipment and weapons of the heroes of the Russian land.
2.1Armor of the Russian hero
According to ancient Russian concepts, combat attire without a helmet was called
armor. Unlike ordinary person, a warrior needs protective
ammunition that will protect the body from injury on the battlefield. It is not simple
accessory, these are vital items. Reliable armor influenced
also on the mood of the enemy. When the enemy saw a good defense, it could
throw him off balance a little.
Shield. Initially shields
made of wood and very light.
were made
easy to move
With such a shield it was possible
reduced the degree
during the battle, but
most
not
protection, since the tree is far away
produced throughout
durable material. Such a shield
growth, and there were holes in it
for eyes. In the 10th century it
the means of defense began to be upholstered with metal, which made it more
reliable. Such protection could even be used as
weapons.

Helmet. In the early stages of the formation of Russia, warriors did not use
protective headgear. Later, helmets began to appear, which
were made of metal plates and had a conical shape.
Thanks to this shape of the helmet, the head was maximally protected from
sword strikes, he just slid off her. Inside the helmet was upholstered in leather,
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which softened the blow. Helmet
metal
with mail
aventail
protected the back of the head
cheeks, neck and shoulders.
Chainmail. main view
ancient Russian shell of the times
Weighed chain mail
Kievan Rus had chain mail.
about 10 kilograms and consisted
tightly
from
adjacent to each other metal rings. It was invented in IV
in. BC. the Celts. In Russia, its manufacture was mastered no later than the 10th century.
Making chain mail is a very complex, delicate and long process.
Chain mail was woven from steel rings, sometimes in 2-3 layers. chain mail
resembled a mesh tunic, hung down to the knees and had slits in front and
rear for ease of riding.

Later, nagovits (iron stockings) began to appear among the heroes,
aventail (metal mesh around the neck), bracers (metal gloves).
In Russia, ringed armor and
chest armor from rings and plates connected together, located
like fish scales. Such armor was called bakhterets. was going to
bakhterets from oblong arranged in vertical rows
plates connected by rings on the short sides. The oldest
Russian armor (armor) was made from rectangular convex
metal plates with holes along the edges. In these holes
leather straps were threaded, with which the plates were closely attracted
to each other. Since the XI century, other armor began to appear - scaly.
The plates of such armor were attached to a cloth or leather base with
one side and fixed in the center. Plate armor, unlike
chain mail, made of metal rings, were called plank,
because their plates resembled convex planks.
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2. 2. Weapons of Russian heroes
The sword was the main weapon of warriors - heroes. On the
swords swore an oath, the sword was revered. He was expensive
weapon, it was inherited from father to son.
The sword was carried in a scabbard to keep it from rusting. Lever
swords and scabbards were decorated with ornaments and patterns. Truth
or a fairy tale, but Russian heroes could cut with a sword
in half the enemy along with
horse.
From the 90th century, the heroes began
The first sabers of Russian heroes
length, their curvature reached
saber.
apply
reached a meter
4.5 cm.
military hunting.
The spear is a universal weapon,
The spear was a steel or
iron tip. The length of the spear reached 3 meters. Sometimes a part
the shaft was forged in metal so that the enemy could not cut the spear.
the tip could be as long as

what
Interesting,
were
half a meter
cases and applications of the whole
"sword" on a stick, with
whose help not only
pricked, but also chopped.

Known
Onion
the weapon of heroes is a bow and
Most
arrows.
made from animal horns
or tree. Most often, birch was used for this. The arrows were
wooden, with metal tips. They kept them in a leather quiver,
who hung behind his back.
Owning a bow required special virtuosity. The chronicles describe
the amazing speed with which the archers fired their arrows.
There was even such a saying “Shoot how to do a strand” -
arrows flew with such frequency that they formed a continuous line. bow and
arrows were an integral part of the allegorical speech: “Like an arrow with
bow hid.
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by the most
famous
legendary mace.
from the end
cudgel,
chain

located
same for close combat
big stick, end
metal, for
spikes or
Highly
axe.
blade -
ax handle,
iron
can be considered a strike weapon
Mace looks like wood
to which the chain departs, and to
metal ball with spikes. So
the club served as a distance. This is
which was wrapped in a plate of
effect enhancements were added there
nails.
was
common slashing weapon
A large wide ax was called a berdysh. His
iron - was long and
planted on a long
which at the lower end had
fittings.
Flail
appeared
in Russia in the X century and firmly

their
kept
position until the 17th century.
More often
weapon

was a short
belt whip with
ball attached at the end.
Sometimes
ball
"decorated" with spikes. Flail at
its weight in 250
gram was a great light
which
weapon,
turned out to be very handy in the most
thicker

contractions.
Dexterous and sudden blow to the helmet
enemy, and the road is clear. This is where the verb comes from
"stun".

Chapter III. Practical part.
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3.1. How do my classmates and friends represent the hero?
Warriors in Ancient Russia were very revered and respected. What did it look like
ancient Russian warrior in epics? Bogatyrs are described as large,
handsome and broad-shouldered men with a loud voice. Such
warriors have heavy hands with short fingers and oblique fathoms in the shoulders.
The hair of Russian heroes reached the shoulders, and their eyebrows were very
bushy. Epic warriors were indifferent to food, but loved
sleep. It was believed that it was in a dream that they gained strength. But in epics and
legends often exaggerated the image of the hero. Pictures on which
heroes are depicted, they show us simply huge in size
men. They hold their heavy armor and weapons with ease, as
like it's fluff. In reality, there are very few such people, but this is not
the fact that in ancient Russia
rules out
were
truly brave and strong
warriors.
by

how
really?
ordinary
armor and
draw
facts
see the rich.
them
looked like a Slavic warrior
What clothes did you wear
life? What were his
weapons?
I have asked
classmates and friends
image of a hero, display
biographies. In the drawings you
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Conclusion: students draw weapons and armor correctly, but there are drawings that
which are not true.
3.2. The results of the survey of respondents
I invited students of 56 classes to recognize and name weapons and
the armor of the heroes depicted in the pictures.
The survey involved 98 students of 56 classes. They were offered
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questions:

pictures?

The poll results are as follows:
1. What types of weapons and armor of Russian heroes do you see on
pictures?
Respondents named 19 types of weapons.
Types of weapons and equipment
Number of people who named
96
96
89
51
14
13
8
5
4
4
4
3
3
2
1
1
1
1
1
1. Sword
2. Shield
3. Dagger
4. Blade
5. Armor
6. Throwing knives
7. Mace
8. Spear
9. Bulat
10. Cudgel
11. Staff
12. Saber
13. Sledgehammer
14. Hammer
15. Armor
16. Helmet
17. Mail
18. Scepter
19. Ax

Named correctly.
incorrectly named.
15
15
%
100
100
92
53
14
13
8
6
4
4
4
3
3
2
1
1
1
1
1

1. Whip
2. Staff
3. Spear
4. Whip
5. Bag
6. Flask
7. Crosses
8. Hunting knife
9. Mail
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
Hood
Whip
Clock
spikes
Scarf
Mask
Number of named %
6
4
3
2
2
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
35
23
17
11
11
11
11
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
Conclusions: Students know everything students know the shield and sword and do not name everything correctly
armor and weapons of the hero.
2. What is extra in the pictures?
Respondents named 17 species.
Types of weapons and equipment
Bow and arrows
Shoulders
correctly called.
incorrectly named.
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Conclusions: the respondents showed ignorance of the armor and weapons of heroes,
figures show this
3.3. I explored the catalog of modern Russian weapons
and compared with the weapons of heroes
I researched a catalog of modern Russian weapons in order to study
types of modern weapons that have the names of the old Russian
weapons, which served as a prototype of the modern weapons of the Russian
army.
My results:
1. SHIP MULTI-CHANNEL COMPLEX
SELF-DEFENSE "BLADE"
2. Anti-aircraft missile system "PANTSIRS"
3. ROCKET P300 "BULAVA"
4. ONBOARD RADAR "SPEAR"
5. ONBOARD RADAR "CROSSBOW"
6. SAM "STRELA10M"
7. ROCKETAMISHENT RM5V27 "PISCHAL"
8. HAND GRANATE RGM "KASTET"
Conclusion: The Russian army has samples of weapons and weapons,
which are named after old Russian weapons. Although it is not
performs the functions that it performed before, the less it does not
forgotten and is the pride of the Russian army today.

Any settlement has borders that must be protected from enemy invasions; this need has always existed in large Slavic settlements. During the period of Ancient Russia, conflicts torn the country apart, it was necessary to fight not only with external threats, but also with fellow tribesmen. The unity and harmony between the princes helped to create a great state, which became defensible. Old Russian warriors stood under one banner and showed the whole world their strength and courage.

Druzhina

The Slavs were a peace-loving people, so the ancient Russian warriors did not stand out too much against the background of ordinary peasants. They stood up to defend their home with spears, axes, knives and clubs. military equipment, the weapon appears gradually, and it is more focused on the defense of its owner than on the offense. In the 10th century, several Slavic tribes united around the prince of Kyiv, who collects taxes and protects the controlled territory from the invasion of the steppes, Swedes, Byzantines, and Mongols. A squad is being formed, the composition of which is 30% composed of professional military men (often mercenaries: Varangians, Pechenegs, Germans, Hungarians) and militias (voi). During this period, the armament of the Old Russian warrior consisted of a club, a spear, and a sword. Lightweight protection does not restrict movement and provides mobility in combat and campaign. The main was the infantry, horses were used as pack animals and to deliver soldiers to the battlefield. The cavalry is formed after unsuccessful clashes with the steppes, who were excellent riders.

Protection

Old Russian wars wore shirts and ports common to the population of Russia in the 5th - 6th centuries, put on shoes in bast shoes. During the Russian-Byzantine war, the enemy was struck by the courage and courage of the "Rus", who fought without protective armor, hiding behind shields and using them at the same time as a weapon. Later, a “kuyak” appeared, which was essentially a sleeveless shirt, sheathed with plates from horse hooves or pieces of leather. Later, metal plates began to be used to protect the body from chopping blows and arrows of the enemy.

Shield

The armor of the ancient Russian warrior was light, which provided high maneuverability, but at the same time reduced the degree of protection. Large, the height of a man were used by the Slavic peoples since ancient times. They covered the warrior's head, so they had a hole for the eyes in the upper part. Since the 10th century, shields have been made in a round shape, upholstered with iron, covered with leather and decorated with various tribal symbols. According to the testimony of Byzantine historians, the Russians created a wall of shields, which were tightly closed to each other, and put their spears forward. Such tactics made it impossible for the advanced units of the enemy to break through to the rear of the Russian troops. After 100 years, the form adapts to new genus troops - cavalry. Shields become almond-shaped, have two mounts designed to be held in battle and on the march. With this type of equipment, ancient Russian warriors went on campaigns and stood up to defend their own lands before the invention of firearms. Many traditions and legends are associated with shields. Some of them are "winged" to this day. The fallen and wounded soldiers were brought home on shields; when fleeing, the retreating regiments threw them under the feet of the pursuers' horses. Prince Oleg hangs a shield on the gates of the defeated Constantinople.

Helmets

Until the 9th - 10th centuries, ancient Russian warriors wore ordinary hats on their heads, which did not protect against the chopping blows of the enemy. The first helmets found by archaeologists were made according to the Norman type, but they were not widely used in Russia. The conical shape has become more practical and therefore widely used. The helmet in this case was riveted from four metal plates, they were decorated with precious stones and feathers (for noble warriors or governors). This shape allowed the sword to slide off without hurting the person. great harm, a leather or felt balaclava softened the blow. The helmet was changed due to additional protective devices: aventail (mail mesh), nose guard (metal plate). The use of protection in the form of masks (masks) in Russia was rare, most often these were trophy helmets, which were widely used in European countries. The description of the ancient Russian warrior, preserved in the annals, suggests that they did not hide their faces, but could shackle the enemy with a menacing look. Helmets with a half mask were made for noble and wealthy warriors, they are characterized by decorative details that did not carry protective functions.

chain mail

The most famous part of the vestments of the ancient Russian warrior, according to archaeological sites, appears in the 7th - 8th centuries. Chain mail is a shirt of metal rings tightly connected to each other. At that time, it was quite difficult for craftsmen to make such protection, the work was delicate and took a long time. The metal was rolled into wire, from which rings were folded and welded, fixed together according to the 1 to 4 scheme. At least 20 - 25 thousand rings were spent on creating one chain mail, the weight of which ranged from 6 to 16 kilograms. For decoration, copper links were woven into the canvas. In the 12th century, stamping technology was used, when braided rings were flattened, which provided a large area of ​​​​protection. In the same period, chain mail became longer, additional elements of armor appeared: nagovitsya (iron, woven stockings), aventail (mesh to protect the neck), bracers (metal gloves). Quilted clothes were worn under the chain mail, softening the force of the blow. At the same time, they were used in Russia. For the manufacture, a base (shirt) made of leather was required, on which thin iron lamellas were tightly attached. Their length was 6 - 9 centimeters, width from 1 to 3. Plate armor gradually replaced chain mail and was even sold to other countries. In Russia, scaly, lamellar and chain mail armor were often combined. Yushman, Bakhterets were essentially chain mail, which, to increase the protective properties, were supplied with plates on the chest. Appears at the beginning the new kind armor - mirrors. metal plates big size, polished to a shine, as a rule, were worn over chain mail. On the sides and on the shoulders, they were connected with leather belts, often decorated with various kinds of symbols.

Weapon

The protective clothing of the ancient Russian warrior was not impenetrable armor, but it was distinguished by its lightness, which ensured greater maneuverability of warriors and shooters in battle conditions. According to information received from historical sources Byzantines, "Rusichi" were distinguished by a huge physical force. In the 5th - 6th centuries, the weapons of our ancestors were quite primitive, used for close combat. To cause significant damage to the enemy, it had a lot of weight and was additionally equipped with striking elements. The evolution of weapons took place against the background of technological progress and changes in the strategy of warfare. Throwing systems, siege engines, piercing and cutting iron tools have been used for many centuries, while their design has been constantly improved. Some innovations were adopted from other peoples, but Russian inventors and gunsmiths have always been distinguished by the originality of their approach and the reliability of the manufactured systems.

percussion

Weapons for close combat are known to all nations, at the dawn of the development of civilization, its main type was a club. This is a heavy club, which turned around with iron at the end. Some variants feature metal spikes or nails. Most often in Russian chronicles, along with the club, the flail is mentioned. Due to the ease of manufacture and effectiveness in combat, percussion weapons were widely used. The sword and saber partially replace it, but the militia and howls continue to use it in battle. Based on chronicle sources and excavation data, historians have created a typical portrait of a man who was called an ancient Russian warrior. Photographs of reconstructions, as well as images of heroes that have survived to this day, necessarily contain some type of strike weapon, most often in this capacity is the legendary mace.

Cutting, stabbing

In the history of ancient Russia, the sword is of great importance. It is not only the main type of weapon, but also a symbol of princely power. The knives used had several types, they were named according to the place they were worn: boot, belt, underside. They were used along with the sword and the ancient Russian warrior changes in the X century, the saber comes to replace the sword. Her combat characteristics Russians appreciated in battles with nomads, from whom they borrowed the uniform. Spears and spears are among the most ancient types of piercing weapons, which were successfully used by warriors as defensive and offensive weapons. When used in parallel, they evolved ambiguously. Rogatins are gradually being replaced by spears, which are being improved into the sulitsa. Not only peasants (voi and militias) fought with axes, but also the princely squad. On horseback warriors this species weapons had a short handle, infantrymen (warriors) used axes on long shafts. Berdysh (an ax with a wide blade) in the XIII - XIV century becomes a weapon. Later it is transformed into a halberd.

Shooting

All means used daily for hunting and at home were used by Russian soldiers as military weapons. Bows were made from animal horn and suitable wood species (birch, juniper). Some of them were over two meters long. To store arrows, a shoulder quiver was used, which was made of leather, sometimes decorated with brocade, precious and semi-precious stones. For the manufacture of arrows, reeds, birches, reeds, and apple trees were used, to the torch of which an iron tip was attached. In the 10th century, the design of the bow was quite complex, and the process of its manufacture was laborious. Crossbows were a more effective type. Their minus was a lower rate of fire, but at the same time, the bolt (used as a projectile) did more damage to the enemy, breaking through armor when it hit. It was difficult to pull the bowstring of the crossbow, even strong warriors rested against the butt with their feet for this. In the 12th century, to speed up and facilitate this process, they began to use a hook that archers wore on their belts. Until the invention of firearms, bows were used in Russian troops.

Equipment

Foreigners who visited Russian cities of the 12th-13th centuries were surprised at how the soldiers were equipped. With all the apparent bulkiness of the armor (especially for heavy horsemen), the riders easily coped with several tasks. Sitting in the saddle, the warrior could hold the reins (drive a horse), shoot from a bow or crossbow, and prepare a heavy sword for close combat. The cavalry was agile strike force, therefore, the equipment of the rider and horse should be light, but durable. The chest, croup and sides of the war horse were covered with special covers, which were made of cloth with sewn iron plates. The equipment of the ancient Russian warrior was thought out to the smallest detail. Saddles made of wood made it possible for the archer to turn in the opposite direction and shoot at full speed, while controlling the direction of the horse's movement. Unlike the European warriors of that time, who were fully armored, the light armor of the Russians was focused on battles with nomads. The nobles, princes, kings had weapons and armor for combat and parade, which were richly decorated and equipped with the symbols of the state. They received foreign ambassadors and went on holidays.